SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is recommending to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. the enforcement of a one-strike policy against collectors of the Bureaus of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Customs (BoC) who fail to meet their target revenues.
Romualdez said this would help ensure additional funds for targeted subsidies, hospitalization, education, job creation, and other social protection programs for the most vulnerable sectors of society.
In pursuit of the same end, Romualdez said the House of Representatives will also exercise its oversight function to monitor the performance of various departments and agencies in the implementation of policies and programs under their respective mandates.
“I will recommend to President Marcos a one-strike policy against collectors who will miss their target revenues,” Romualdez said
“The one strike-strike policy is a key step towards achieving our revenue goals. Kailangan natin ang dagdag na pondo para sa mga ayuda, libreng pang-ospital, edukasyon, transportasyon, paglikha ng mga trabaho sa pamamagitan ng infrastructure projects at iba pang mga programa na makakatulong sa taong-bayan,” Speaker Romualdez said.
He noted that the inability of concerned collectors to meet their revenue goals has been compromising the government’s budget for agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and other priorities.
To remedy the situation, he suggested that collectors who fail to meet their revenue targets should be removed from their position and replaced by competent individuals to ensure inefficiency in the administration of tax collection.
“Let us help the government meet its revenue targets. I hope our call will send a clear message for our collectors to perform at the highest level,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Taxes are the lifeblood of government in the implementation of pro-poor programs designed to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality. It is of vital importance in the government’s effort to provide access to better education, healthcare, and social protection programs,” he added.
On the part of Congress, Speaker Romualdez said the prudent exercise of its oversight power “would further promote transparency and accountability under the Marcos administration.”
“We will monitor and evaluate the performance of government agencies. The House of Representatives is committed to working with the government to ensure stable finances for the sustained and efficient implementation of various important projects,” Speaker Romualdez said.
Specifically, Speaker Romualdez said Congress would scrutinize how government agencies are utilizing the resources entrusted to them for the implementation of programs in line with their respective responsibilities.
“It is important to improve the absorptive capacity of all government agencies in the implementation of vital programs,” he said.
